Centerville dog helps save woman in fire

CENTERVILLE — Chowder, a 2-year-old Irish Jack Russell terrier, refused to take no for answer early Wednesday morning and an elderly woman's life may have been saved as a result.

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By KAREN JEFFREY

capecodtimes.com

By KAREN JEFFREY

Posted Apr. 21, 2011 at 2:00 AM

By KAREN JEFFREY
Posted Apr. 21, 2011 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

CENTERVILLE — Chowder, a 2-year-old Irish Jack Russell terrier, refused to take no for answer early Wednesday morning and an elderly woman's life may have been saved as a result.

At about 4:30 a.m., the woman was clinging to an exterior door and trying to get back into her burning home at 72 Ginger Lane when neighbor Dianna Carlino grabbed and pulled her off a ramp leading into the one-story, wood-frame house.

Seconds later, a picture window exploded as Richard Carlino scooped the woman into his arms and carried her across the yard into his home.

But the Carlinos give all the credit to Chowder, their sturdy black-and-white canine, who awakened them then refused to let them roll over and go back to sleep until they reacted to the fire next door.

"He kept jumping on me, digging in with his claws and wouldn't stop," Richard Carlino said hours later. "Once he made sure my wife and I were up, he ran to each room of the house and made sure our children were awake, too. He wouldn't rest until he knew everyone was awake, and we'd gone out the door to help our neighbor."

The Carlinos' children, Summer, 12, and Andrew, 8, remained in their house with Chowder and Dakota, another Irish Jack Russell, as their parents called 911 and ran to help their neighbor.

"We wanted everyone in the same place in case we had to evacuate our own home," Richard Carlino said.

Fortunately, that was not the case for this young family, who are grateful for their tenacious terrier and shaken at how quickly and furiously the fire burned next-door.

The fire destroyed the home, and the cause is under investigation by the Barnstable and Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills fire departments.

Flames were showing when firefighters arrived at the scene. With the help of firefighters from Hyannis, Barnstable, Cotuit and West Barnstable, the blaze was knocked down quickly.

Nonetheless, firefighters remained on the scene until well into the morning.

The elderly woman was taken to Cape Cod Hospital for observation. No further information on her condition was available.

Dianna Carlino, who works as a certified nurses aide, said she is concerned that the woman might have been injured in the rescue.

"She wouldn't let go of the door. She was holding on for dear life. I had to literally drag her off the door and knock her off the ramp to get her away from the house," she said. "I was so afraid she might have broken a hip, but there was just no other way to get her away from the house."

Heat from the fire warped siding on the gable-end of the Carlinos' rented home. Dianna Carlino shook her head and shivered as she looked at blackened shell of her neighbor's house then turned to look at the damaged siding on her own.

"This was scary and too close for comfort," she said.

The heat "was intense," Richard Carlino said.

"I've seen fires before, but nothing so close. As far as I'm concerned, this is one thing off the list — don't want to have to do this again."